Act Global worked in collaboration with an organic chemist PhD and three testing laboratories in New York, France and Texas to prepare the latest research study on crumb rubber safety. Results support the safety of crumb rubber and show no chemicals or substances to be present at levels of concern.
Austin, Texas – The latest objective, comprehensive crumb rubber research study supports the existing body of data that the infill material is safe as used in synthetic turf fields.
Act Global today released the independent testing and published analysis, performed in cooperation with a regarded organic chemist Dr. R. William Tilford and three accredited testing institutes. Dr. Tilford is an unbiased third-party expert, with a doctorate in organic chemistry and fourteen years of experience as a research chemist. Dr. Tilford has a thorough understanding of how organic molecules react with each other and their environments.
In a recent episode of NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, the show raised concerns regarding the health risks of crumb rubber infill. The episode used the word “fear” in its show, while also issuing the following comments:
“…The International Agency for Research on Cancer labels four carcinogens [arsenic, benzene, cadmium, nickel] while adding that at low levels of exposure, they are considered safe.”
“…There’s no research directly linking crumb rubber exposure to cancer.”
“…Many researchers, states and localities defend the turf safety.”
Dr. Tilford’s research paper analyzed not only the four carcinogens noted by NBC, but test data of 83 substances including trace metals, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and semi-volatiles/PAHs. Analysis concludes that no substances were measured at a higher concentration than what may be found in background typical air, soil and surrounding environments, and many substances were completely undetected. Standardized, modern and objective test protocols were utilized per US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and European Union toy safety standards.
“This collective body of data supports that this sample of crumb rubber is safe,” cited Tilford in the study. “The analyzed samples offered no apparent hazard.”
“We commit the resources to support independent and credible research, because our top priority is always the safety and welfare of synthetic turf users,” said John Baize, owner of Act Global. “We are pleased with the results as they are consistent with numerous other studies.”
More than 50 technical studies have been conducted during the past two decades which review the health effects of crumb rubber. These have analyzed the material as it pertains to inhalation, ingestion and dermal contact, as well as cancer. Comparable to the Act Global Crumb Rubber Safety Study, the preponderance of evidence shows no negative health effects associated with crumb rubber in synthetic turf.
Artificial turf is cost-effective, safe, highly resilient, and improves access to sports for children around the world, explains Baize. A durable synthetic turf pitch can withstand greater usage than natural grass, and accommodate multiple sports and activities, even in inclement weather conditions. According to the Synthetic Turf Council, 11,000 artificial turf fields are in use throughout the United States, saving billions of gallons of water every year.
Together, Tilford and Act Global have published the technical research analysis Act Global Crumb Rubber Safety Study. The research paper and independent lab reports are available from the company by emailing cholman@actglobal.com.
UPDATE: Sign up below to download the Act Global Crumb Rubber Safety Study
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About Act Global
Act Global is a world leader in synthetic turf and artificial grass manufacturing. The company’s Xtreme Turf and Xtreme Lawn products replicate natural grass for use in international stadiums, indoor sport centers, synthetic lawns and other synthetic grass uses. Its LiteEarth and AvTurf products add capabilities for landfills and airport applications. Act Global has manufacturing locations in USA, Europe and Asia and installations in over 70 countries. Act Global is notable for currently being the first company in the world that is a FIFA Preferred Producer for Football Turf, Synthetic Turf Council Certified Manufacturer, World Rugby Preferred Turf Producer, and holds an ISO 9001 certification.
Shelby Becker is a creative content creator and marketing specialist at Act Global. She’s an animal rights activist, avid concert-goer, and scary movie enthusiast. Follow her on LinkedIn .
For more information, contact marketing at sbecker@actglobal.com
Detroit-based Neighborhood Service Organization, which serves homeless and at-risk individuals, will soon receive new artificial turf playing surface.
Austin, TX – Those experiencing homelessness and hardship in Detroit, Michigan, USA will soon have a new, top quality synthetic turf playing surface.
The artificial turf field will be located at the Neighborhood Service Organization, a non-profit agency which provides community services such as affordable health care, emergency help lines, youth outreach, and housing programs for homeless individuals.
Donated by Act Global and ProGrass, leaders in the manufacturing, design and building of synthetic turf fields across the USA, the new playing surface will be accessible for NSO clients and surrounding community members to promote neighborhood engagement, positive social interactions, and healthy living in the area. Previously, the center had no such outdoor playing field.
At a ceremony on Feb. 2, the NSO dedicated the synthetic turf field, thanked its sponsors, and recognized Detroit’s Team Resilience for their 2014 Homeless World Cup participation. The team of formerly homeless individuals has since moved into affordable housing at the NSO’s Bell Building. The Bell Building provides permanent, supportive housing for homeless adults and services such as addiction treatment, counseling, financial literacy education and more. The facility includes a health care clinic, gym, library, computer room, art and music rooms, chapel, and soon, a new artificial turf field.
Todd DeWolfe, vice president of sales for ProGrass, presented a joint statement at the ceremony prepared by the two companies.
“On behalf of Act Global and ProGrass, we want to thank and congratulate the Team Resilience Homeless World Cup players, volunteers, staff and sponsors and the Neighborhood Service Organization.
“We all know and understand how playing sports can have a tremendous impact on a person’s physical and mental health. Through the use of synthetic turf, we can give millions of adults and children around our country and around the world the ability to spend more time building themselves up and time away from the streets. The NSO, this artificial turf field and the Homeless World Cup are examples of this and will serve as tools for homeless individuals to change their lives while opening our eyes and hearts.”
The artificial turf field will be built and opened for community use in the near future.
About Act Global
Act Global is a world leader in synthetic turf and artificial grass manufacturing. The company’s Xtreme Turf and Xtreme Lawn products replicate natural grass for use in international stadiums, indoor sport centers, synthetic lawns and other synthetic grass uses. Its LiteEarth and AvTurf products add capabilities for landfills and airport applications. Act Global has four manufacturing locations in USA, Europe and Asia and installations in over 70 countries. Act Global is notable for currently being the first company in the world that is a FIFA Preferred Producer for Football Turf, Synthetic Turf Council Certified Manufacturer, IRB Preferred Producer, and holds an ISO 9001 certification.
About ProGrass Founded in April 2002, ProGrass, LLC is based in Pittsburgh, PA. Under the same majority ownership since day one, ProGrass has emerged as one of the preeminent names in the synthetic turf industry. ProGrass installations are located from Connecticut to California and Hidalgo, Texas to Barrow, Alaska. More information on ProGrass and their products can be found at www.prograssturf.com.
Shelby Becker is a creative content creator and marketing specialist at Act Global. She’s an animal rights activist, avid concert-goer, and scary movie enthusiast. Follow her on LinkedIn .
For more information, contact marketing at sbecker@actglobal.com
In light of crumb rubber safety concern raised by an NBC report from Brian Williams, the Connecticut Department of Public Health has restated their stance on synthetic turf safety, that outdoor artificial turf fields do not represent an elevated health risk.
In a letter, the State of Connecticut Department of Public Health writes:
“Our risk assessment did cover carcinogens that are known to be in recycled tires and the crumb rubber used to cushion fields. Once again, we found there to be very little exposure of any substances, carcinogenic or not, in the vapors and dust that these fields generate under active use, summer conditions. Background levels of chemicals in urban and suburban air from heating sources and automobile traffic are much more significant sources of airborne carcinogens. The fact that we sampled 5 fields (4 outdoor and 1 indoor) of different ages and composition suggests that the results can be generalized to other fields, a conclusion supported by the fact that results were similar to what was found in California, USEPA and European studies.
Thus, the CT DPH position expressed in 2011 at the conclusion of the Connecticut study, that outdoor artificial turf fields do not represent an elevated health risk, remains unchanged.”
The Connecticut Department of Public Health evaluated the potential exposures and risks from use of artificial turf fields. The study of fields in Connecticut in 2010-2011 was a comprehensive investigation of releases from the fields during active play. The study did not find a large amount of vapor or particle release from the fields confirming prior reports from Europe and the US. The study further put these exposures into a public health context by performing a risk assessment, which did not find elevated cancer risk. These results have been published as a set of three articles in a peer review journal and are available on the DPH artificial turf webpage.
Shelby Becker is a creative content creator and marketing specialist at Act Global. She’s an animal rights activist, avid concert-goer, and scary movie enthusiast. Follow her on LinkedIn .
For more information, contact marketing at sbecker@actglobal.com
Over the course of two years, 200,000 square metres (2.1 million square feet) of Xtreme Turf will be installed throughout Hungary, in one of the country’s largest synthetic turf projects.
Austin, Texas – As part of a large national project in Hungary, Act Global will supply 200,000 square meters of artificial turf to football clubs throughout the country.
Nine full-size fields and seven mid-size pitches have been built in major cities throughout Hungary, including Budapest, Szeged, Kisvarda, Edeleny and Kecskemet. The company has effectively completed phase one of the project, with 100,000 square meters successfully delivered and installed on schedule and to the clients’ satisfaction. The pitches feature the highest quality 3G synthetic turf produced at Act Global’s manufacturing plant in Aalten, Netherlands.
“We are thrilled to be a part of this large project, to bring this high quality artificial turf to players and venues throughout Hungary,” said Robert Zlotnicki, regional manager Act Global. “We have received fantastic feedback regarding the product and installation, and are excited to continue with the second phase of this development.”
The project was developed as part of the Hungarian Football Federation Programme (MLSZ) to promote football and improve training facilities for local clubs and communities. The type of venues and projects vary, but are often municipal training facilities on a high level of play.
Artificial turf has been widely used throughout Eastern Europe, but with an increasing attention on quality. As a FIFA Preferred Producer for Football Turf, Act Global is actively working to inform the market on FIFA Quality turf systems, and the importance of safety, longevity and performance in a playing surface.
Further, in countries such as Hungary which experience cold winter conditions, preparing and maintaining natural turf can be particularly challenging. January is the coldest month in the capital city Budapest, with fairly frequent snowfall and average temperatures around -4°C (24.8 °F). After cold winter months, frost can leave natural surfaces uneven, prompting heavy maintenance and re-leveling. Synthetic turf playing fields remain uniform and consistent, without worry of weather damage.
“With a higher quality surface, field owners will see improved player performance and comfort, all-weather durability, and a longer lasting field,” said Zlotnicki. “This translates into a better overall buying experience and greater return on investment for the facility.”
ABOUT ACT GLOBAL
Act Global is a world leader in synthetic turf and artificial grass manufacturing. The company’s artificial Xtreme Turf and Xtreme Lawn products replicate natural grass for use in international stadiums, indoor sport centers, synthetic lawns and other synthetic grass uses. Its LiteEarth and AvTurf products add capabilities for landfills and airport applications. Act Global has four manufacturing locations in USA, Europe and Asia and installations in over 70 countries. Act Global is notable for currently being the first company in the world that is a FIFA Preferred Producer for Football Turf, Synthetic Turf Council Certified Manufacturer, IRB Preferred Producer, and holds an ISO 9001 certification. Its products have undergone hundreds of independent laboratory tests for quality, durability and performance.
Shelby Becker is a creative content creator and marketing specialist at Act Global. She’s an animal rights activist, avid concert-goer, and scary movie enthusiast. Follow her on LinkedIn .
For more information, contact marketing at sbecker@actglobal.com
Football and rugby clubs throughout the United Kingdom are realizing the benefits of selecting a high-performing 3G synthetic turf system, which closely replicates natural grass in good condition. Below are a sampling of Clubs from the past year which have chosen to install an Xtreme Turf playing surface.
MERTHYR TOWN FOOTBALL CLUB
Merthyr Tydfil, Wales
FIFA Two Star Certified
A semi-professional football club from Wales in the English League system, Merthyr Town FC has a long tradition. They have managed to overcome some recent hurdles and raise funding to install this Xtreme Turf 3G pitch. Along with partner Verde Recreo, Act Global worked with the Club for more than two years to bring the project to completion. Within weeks of opening, the Club was able to hold a soccer school during school half-term and invited 300 local children to enjoy the new facilities. This additional footfall around the Club has already generated more interest and more revenue as a result, and the Club is looking forward to a sustainable future.
Queen of the South FC, Xtreme Turf woven artificial turf
QUEEN OF THE SOUTH FOOTBALL CLUB
Dumfries, Scotland
FIFA Two Star Certified
“The Doonhamers” at Queen of the South FC recently received a FIFA Two Star Certified pitch, which features the latest WX50 woven grass technology for the optimal playing surface.
TheChairman, players and coaching staff are all delighted with the 3G synthetic turf. A recent women’s international took place between Wales and Scotland and the feedback was that the pitch was “the best they had played on”.
The advanced system features a three-fiber blend woven into an interlocked backing. The unique technique locks yarns in place to offer superior strength, pile fixation and dimensional stability to help fibers stand vertical and resist matting. The result is consistent ball roll, steady footing, and enhanced player comfort for long lasting performance. Further, the high fibre density system installed with a shock pad will lower infill compaction and improve shock absorption levels over time compared to other systems.
The woven system uses just 80g of acrylic coating, an illustration of efforts towards more environmentally friendly products.
3G Rugby and Football Pitches at the Centre for Excellence in South Wales.
CENTRE FOR SPORTING EXCELLENCE
Ystrad Mynach, Wales
FIFA Two Star Certified, IRB22 Certified
Act Global and Verdeo Recreo have provided 3G synthetic turf rugby and football pitches to the new, state-of-the-art Caerphilly County BoroughCentre for Sporting Excellence in South Wales. The artificial turf pitches which were built to the stringent IRB22 and FIFA Two Star quality guidelines.
This elite training facility is the home of the Newport Gwent Dragons rugby team. The Dragons play in the Guinness Pro12 league, a competition that pits the elite club teams from Scotland, Ireland, Wales and Italy against each other. Opened this year by Wales Coach Warren Gatland, the Centre is getting rave reviews from all who play on it, including elite players and coaches.
The pitch features Xtreme Turf SXF60, a mix of monofilament and fibrillated yarns to deliver a dense surface that is perfect for all facets of Rugby Union, with the added bonus of reducing infill splash.
Act Global and Verde Recreo provide IRB22 and FIFA Certified pitch at Filton Wise Campus, Bristol, England.
SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE & STROUD COLLEGE, FILTON WISE CAMPUS
Bristol, England
FIFA 2 Star Certified, IRB22 Certified
The new 3G Xtreme Turf pitch at the Filton WISE Campus was Act Global’s first IRB22 Certified pitch as an IRB Preferred Turf Producer. The 9,000 square meters of artificial turf were installed by Verde Recreo, and are used by some of the most talented young players in the UK for rugby, football and American Football. The Xtreme Turf SXF is a high-performing synthetic turf system, composed of a both a monofilament and fibrillated yarn to encompass the key qualities of both fibers. The unique blend gives a natural grass-like appearance, while offering the optimal combination of durability, performance, safety and skin friendliness for a high-performing playing surface. Fibrillated yarn further ensures infill material is encapsulated, giving a stable and reliable playing surface over its life.
Somervale School 3G Pitch, synthetic turf from Act Global & built by Verde Recreo.
SOMERVALE SCHOOL
Midsomer Norton, England
FIFA Two Star Certified
A muddy playing field is a thing of the past for Midsomer Norton footballers, thanks to the new Somervale School 3G synthetic turf surface. This certified FIFA 2 Star pitch built by Verde Recreo provides an all-weather playing surface, and features the latest Xtreme Turf system for added performance, durability and longevity.
QUEENS PARK FOOTBALL CLUB
Glasgow, Scotland
We recently completed a Commonwealth Games legacy project in Glasgow at Lesser Hampden stadium, home to Queens Park FC. Queens play in Scottish League Division 2, the 4th tier of football in Scotland. The new synthetic turf playing surface, completed October 2014, features a diamond spine monofilament which offers an ideal blend of performance, resilience and feel for teams playing at the top competition level.
LLANDUDNO FC
Llandudno, Conwy County Borough, North Wales
FIFA Two Star Certified
Llandudno FC had a great s season on their new artificial turf playing surface, and are top of the Welsh league. Their pitch was available for the first time at the end of September and they won 5-1 to get off to a good start. The FIFA Quality pitch was constructed with a diamond spine monofilament installed on a shockpad to achieve FIFA Two Star Certification, a mark of elite level performance.
Shelby Becker is a creative content creator and marketing specialist at Act Global. She’s an animal rights activist, avid concert-goer, and scary movie enthusiast. Follow her on LinkedIn .
For more information, contact marketing at sbecker@actglobal.com
We are a dynamic, global synthetic turf company committed to BE MORE. We have manufacturing facilities on three continents, sales in over 90 countries and a trusted network around the world.
Our mission to “Be More” is ingrained in every facet of our business, every employee and throughout our value chain. With a foundation of innovation, integrity and quality, Act Global strives to positively impact society and maximize land use through the use of synthetic turf.
Corporate Office:
4201 W Parmer Ln Suite B175, Austin, TX 78727.
Phone: (512) 733-5300
Act Global worked in collaboration with an organic chemist PhD and three testing laboratories in New York, France and Texas to prepare the latest research study on crumb rubber safety. Results support the safety of crumb rubber and show no chemicals or substances to be present at levels of concern.
